Pendulum Control
by Amid Much Hysteria
Summary: It began as a routine day of sparring between old rivals and took an unexpected turn. A conversation sparks, old grudges resurfaced and one Saiyan walks away changed. What caused the sudden change and is it for the better or worse? Yaoi
1. The Day of Reckoning

**The Day of Reckoning**

The two pure-blooded Saiyans strolled an unmarked path through the shaded grove. Goku lead the way and Vegeta was content to follow. The proud Saiyan pealed off his jacket to reveal a black fitted tank top to match his black spandex pants. As always, his feet were clad in his leather boots of Saiyan design. They weren't the origional ones that had been hand-crafted by Saiyans-- he'd had to dispose of that pair a long time ago due to extensive damage from overuse. However, he had his father-in-law engineer him several new pairs that were in every way identical to the originals. Don't fix what isn't broken, The stubborn Saiyan would say.

Goku had a similar philosophy regarding his favored orange and blue gi. Vegeta never understood Goku's affinity for it. The flimsy Earth fabric couldn't offer protection against a bee sting.

It was Goku's turn to pick their sparring site and today he chose a secluded wood far from the populated cities and anyone who might be disturbed by what was sure to be another day of reckless abandon. If Vegeta had his way, they would have gone to the canyons again, but Goku always liked the calm of the groves.

The leading Saiyan came to a stop in the middle of a spot-lit clearing and turned to his companion.

"Here we are!" he said, he said, presenting a wide and promising space that was perfect clearance from the bunched trees and within reach of the warming rays of the sun.

Vegeta began his stretches without an upward glance.

"Lovely," he humoured, knowing that the space would be anything but once they were through with it.

"I don't wanna go hard today," Goku warned, joining Vegeta in his warm up, "Chichi and I are going to Goten's school later and she doesn't want me looking beat up."

Vegeta smirked as he twisted his mid-section.

"Don't worry, Kakkarot, I'll go easy on you."

Goku was good humoured enough to allow Vegeta his witticisms-- for now. He predicted that in a few minutes the snide Saiyan wouldn't be smiling anymore.

"Come on, old man." Goku called as he soared up beyond the trees.

"Oh, don't start." Vegeta called back and lifted off the forest floor, "You're just about as old as I am and you know it."

"Just about. But you're still older." Goku sent him a challenging grin topped with a wink.

They charged each other. Each landing and blocking traumatic blows, countering at an evenly matched pace. They would continue like this while each their energies gradually climbed until they were both pushed immeasurable levels beyond super Saiyan.

"Well, so much for taking it easy," Goku breathed, panting and scuffed all over.

Vegeta was hovering yards away from him in no better if not worse shape.

"What are you talking about," he scoffed between pants, "This is only the warm up!"

Goku snorted and raised his hand to challenge the proud Saiyan's bluff.

"In that case," he said, a flicker beginning in his palm, "consider the warm up over."

Vegeta stammered backward in the air as the once-minor spark swelled to a blazing beach ball. Vegeta appeared to brace himself as the energy blast was cast toward him. Once it had closed in to the point that it was skewering the view of the smaller Saiyan,Vegeta vanished from the line of fire. However, the evasive Saiyan was not beyond detection.

Goku waited silently, anticipating the lightning quick movements of his adversary. Then, in a flash, he spun around and threw a stiff fist to Vegeta's midsection.

Vegeta had expected that Goku would track him and blocked the low blow, retaliating with a high kick to the taller Saiyans neck that sent him reeling several yards through the air.

Goku recovered quickly from the sharp kick, but Vegeta had obviously caught him off guard.

The exchange had taken only a few seconds but Goku was invigorated by the harsh pace and rewarded Vegeta with an approving smile.

Things were about to get serious. The prince was ready and returned the smile with a dark ambition.

Goku had always been exhilarated by the promise of a good battle. If the fight wasn't going to cost him a great deal of effort and stamina, he wasn't interested. Vegeta could respect Goku for that. In that aspect, the third class warrior and the prince were the same. Vegeta, too, was always seeking the ultimate test that would further enhance his strength by pushing him to and beyond his limits. They both loved a war and they both thrived on a challenge. However, this is where all ties between the two abruptly severed. Though Vegeta was content keep up his poker face in their exchanges as though he had a great secret just boiling beneath the surface, deep down he knew it was really Goku who was sitting on a gold mine.

Always in the back of his mind, Vegeta toiled over the mystery of Kakkarot's seemingly endless supply of energy. Vegeta had always been aware of his own limits, as he made a regular practice of testing them during his isolated training sessions. He wasn't sure Kakkarot, on the other hand, had ever found his true peak. He imagined that if the naive Saiyan were to try to reach it, he'd just keep powering up until the day was fading and he'd have to break for lunch. Vegeta had seen this on a few occasions-- Kakkarot's energy just kept rising higher and higher as though it would never stop. It terrified Vegeta each time. It wasn't the fear of what Kakkarot would do with such a monstrous power, but rather he feared how he was ever going to catch up with his rival while he was advancing at such a rate. For a long time it had seemed to the proud Saiyan that no matter how hard he trained-- he could cut himself off from all family and necessities of life and devote himself entirely to training-- it wouldn't matter. Kakkarot would always be two steps ahead.

Was it his heart, Vegeta would wonder, his golden hero's heart? If Vegeta were less angry and bent on revenge, would he break through his barrier and achieve new and tremendous heights of power? When his thoughts wandered to that point, he would usually shut them off. Admiring the traits of his life-long rival was never his favorite pastime.

Vegeta was bucked headlong into a large hedge, suffering little damage thanks to the cushioning leaves. For once he was grateful that Goku favored the greenery of the forest over the harsh and rocky canyons. A crash of this caliber would have otherwise left him severely scraped and bleeding. Now however, he was able to leap back up at once to meet his sky-bound opponent.

"Oh, that's pretty, Vegeta." Goku noted, when Vegeta was level with him, "Is that one of Bulma's hair ornaments?"

Vegeta reached up and plucked the leaves out of his hair.

"You're funny when you think you're winning." he said.

It was true and obvious. Goku was winning the day's spar. This wasn't unusual, nor was Vegeta's pronounced denial of it.

"I am winning, Vegeta." Goku replied in good humour, "But if you don't think so, we can make a wager."

Vegeta growled at the audacity of his smirking rival.

"A wager," he spat, "What sort of wager?"

Goku looked unprepared.

"Well," he began, in a teacherly tone, "If you win, you get to pick something I have to do, and if I win-"

"I know what you mean by wager, idiot. What are the stakes?"

Goku's brow furrowed and he stared at Vegeta.

"If I win, you call me by my name."

Vegeta appeared to wait and then a grin spread over his lips.

"Oh," he began in a boastful manner, "does it hurt your feelings when I call you names? Does poor little Kakkarot have low self-esteem?"

Goku was unwavering in the face of Vegeta's obvious taunts, and even quirked a smile.

"No," he said evenly, "You call me Goku."

Vegeta's grin faded as he replaced the error in his understanding with the true meaning behind his rival's words.

The sun was poised slightly to the left of them now as Goku and Vegeta were locked in a somber stare.

Vegeta's eyes went dark when he lowered his head and finally spoke.

"You won't make me renounce our people the way you do by rejecting your Saiyan given name. Not me, Kakkarot. I still honor our bloodline."

Goku looked deeply hurt.

"But Vegeta," he urged, "It's not who I am. Once I left my ship and became enlightened to the ways of peace, I became an Earthling."

"And if you'd been shipped anywhere else, you'd be someone completely different?" Vegeta felt he was uncovering something that had too-long been shoved beneath the surface, "Are you so easily influenced by your surroundings, Kakkarot, that you have no direction of your own?"

Goku frowned at the intentionally biting comments but he would not cower from them. He new what Vegeta was suggesting and had also considered what a small change in the past might have done to affect his present self.

"I do believe," he began calmly and purposefully, "that if I'd never been sent here to Earth, but instead was raised as a warrior surrounded by Saiyans like myself, I might have turned out more like you-- or Nappa, or Radditz. But I also believe," he quickly continued, "that if it weren't for my peaceful upbringing here on Earth, I wouldn't have this power. I wouldn't have been the first in 300 years to achieve the legendary level of Super Saiyan; I wouldn't overcome every foe to ever threaten the peace of the Earth; I wouldn't always be two steps ahead of you."

Vegeta staggered. Goku hadn't said the last part, but Vegeta heard it in his mind.

It was the very thing the former prince feared most and it was coming from the mouth of his life-long adversay: Kakkarot's exceptional and ever exceeding strength being directly due do his non-Saiyan and entirely human exposure. Vegeta had never said it aloud himself-- in fact, the very instant the thought arose, the bitter Saiyan would instinctively burry it away with lightning quickness. His immediate rejection of the idea was due to his knowledge that if that was indeed the secret to Kakkarot's amazing power, there really was nothing he could ever do to surpass his rival because an Earthly upbringing was simply the sort of training regimen Vegeta could never attain.

Now it seemed that Goku had been thinking along the same lines, only instead of dreading the idea like Vegeta did, it had become something to feed off of and to gain inspiration from. Vegeta could barely contain his rage at the very thought of the Earth-lived Saiyan actually being proud of his own estrangement from their mighty race. He wanted to strike down the disrespectful fool with a renewed fury.

"Alright, Kakkarot," The proud Saiyan spat, "I'll take your bet. And if I win," his face darkened further, "You bow to me."

Goku could not suppress a grin.

"I see after all these years you're still the arrogant prince."

"You bring it out in me," Vegeta allowed this one last pleasantry before kicking off into a head-on charge.

Goku charged too and when they met it was a clash of two proud and determined full- blooded Saiyans with each their own honor to protect and a very old score to settle.

When they broke apart again, it was with a bright flash and dull crash as one of them landed gracelessly in a forest bed of rubble, the other following smoothly after.

Goku landed on his feet next to the prone and defeated form of his former adversary. The last blast had been the nail in the coffin, though they had both seen it coming.

Goku had the decency and sportsmanship to not boast his victory so soon after such a defined blow to the proud Saiyan's ego. He knew he would not have to press hard for his winnings. Vegeta was man enough to recognize when he'd lost, though he rarely admitted it aloud.

Goku looked down at the man whom he'd so decisively beaten and waited patiently.

Vegeta, meanwhile, appeared to be at war with himself as he gritted his teeth in obvious frustration. When he finally forced himself to look up, his eyes were mostly lidded and only appeared focused on the sky directly above. His mouth slowly opened and when he said the name it began with a grunt and ended in a sigh.

It was foreign from his lips and both men were hushed by it. Neither said anything for a long while before Goku, suddenly filled with purpose, walked away patting himself off.

"Good fight." he said, without meeting the other's eyes.

Vegeta's wilted pride could barely afford a response.

"What, you're going?" he choked.

They had been out there for only a few short hours, Vegeta guessed. Usually they found sport with each other till nightfall.

"Yeah, I think that's enough sparring for one day,"

Goku's mind was elsewhere as he tried to salvage an outfit out of the tattered remains of his gi.

Vegeta could barely form words as he lay there in the ruffled ground.

When their spars ended this way-- with Vegeta's loss-- it was usually the former prince who would succumb to strange behavior. After a particularly decisive loss, Vegeta would usually respond with silence-- The defeat being too raw. However, by the time the too men spoke again-- which would be days later-- Vegeta was usually back to his normal spirits.

During that short period of time following a defeat, Vegeta just could not bring himself to cope with the present reality and instead usually blocked out his surroundings. Now it seemed it was Goku's mind that was held elsewhere. He wouldn't speak of it-- he couldn't put a finger on it himself. So instead of staying to finish off the day's spar with this baffled companion, he took off in a flash without another word.

Vegeta got up off the forest floor and stared up at the clear sky. He didn't bother with the holes making up the majority of his black spandex and shirt, his concerns mostly occupied with the strange reaction of his weekly sparring partner. It was not like him to leave so soon into their spars, in fact it was usually Vegeta that had to call it quits late into the night when Goku pleaded like an insatiable puppy to stay out just a few more hours.

Vegeta toiled over the day's happenings while he was spearing off in the direction of his own home. It was mid-afternoon now and he expected that if Bulma was home she would wonder why he was back so early. Vegeta wouldn't be in the mood to explain what had happened leading up to Goku's strange and sudden departure and certainly wouldn't have the patience to make something up. He thought again over their conversation that had been so new and unexpected. It had been stirring between them for so long that now that it was out he was worried that he hadn't said everything he'd wanted to say. Goku, on the other hand, had seemed prepared. He remained cool and collected as he recited the words that Vegeta so dreaded to hear.

Goku had said, after Vegeta had challenged him, that he too had considered that the reason he was so exceptionally powerful was because he was not raised to be a blood-thirsty, war-thriving Saiyan -–like Vegeta-- but instead raised to value peace and kindness above all-- the thing Vegeta could never comprehend. It was as though Goku had read his mind and pulled out his most deeply buried thoughts.

Vegeta's mind ventured down that taboo trail again, only this time he did not stuff away the thoughts, but instead explored them. Could it be, he wondered, that what he had long believed to be Kakkarot's greatest flaws, were in fact his greatest attributes?


	2. Pendulum Reset

Pendulum Reset

* * *

It was around 7 AM when Goku landed feather softly on the primped lawn of the Briefs. It wasn't Capsule Corp.- Bulma had invested money in a new home of their own, mostly at Vegeta's request.

The reclusive Saiyan never enjoyed living in such crowded conditions. It didn't help that his in-laws often fussed over how he was straining his "no-longer-youthful" body during his often extreme training sessions. So, it was Vegeta who lived in the new, spacious home on the other side of the city while Bulma made weekly commutes between the two, often needed at Capsule Corporation to assist her father in his latest projects.

Goku entered the large dome of a house unannounced and went straight to the kitchen where he was greeted with the sight of an unsociable Saiyan. He was sitting alone at his sizable table, hunched over a dish of questionable looking eggs.

When Vegeta saw Goku at the kitchen door, he sized him up curiously before going back to his breakfast.

"Ah, you've returned," he said, "you rushed off yesterday before we'd finished sparring. I suppose you're here to continue the session. Well I'm busy at the moment, you'll have to come back later."

Goku advanced further into the kitchen until he was in full view and stopped.

"I'm not here to spar," was all he said.

It was true. Though Vegeta wouldn't know it now, Goku was still charged from their last spar. He had woken up that morning feeling vitalized and renewed. He was sure of things that had never before even crossed his mind.

Goku had hopped out of bed an hour earlier that morning and for the first time, food was not his waking thought. He was immediately searching for something, something that made him briefly pause when passing the closed door of Goten's room. Though what he sensed on the other side was promising, the thing he sought was not in there.

He paused again in the kitchen when his senses pinpointed the next closest thing. However, he skimmed over that as well when he realized that the power was no more if not less promising than that of the dozing Goten upstairs.

He was on his way out the door when a clattering of pans and a gasp reverberated behind him.

"Goku," Chichi said, alarmed that she hadn't noticed him go by and that he hadn't stopped to greet her.

Goku failed again to acknowledge his wife and went on out the door, letting the screen clamor behind him.

Chichi followed after him, pan of bacon in hand.

"Goku, where are you going?" She called.

Goku stopped in mid-takeoff and turned to his wife, whom he was noticing for the first time this morning. He almost looked offended by the intrusion.

"I don't go by that name anymore," was all he said.

Chichi watched, dumbfounded, as her husband shot off into the sky, having left no clue as to where he was going or what had been the cause of his suddenly odd behavior.

Goku's senses reached further as he hawked over the terrain, some miles above the main city. He was heading west and behind him were the prominent energy signals of his two Saiyan sons, his youngest slightly more radiant. Ahead of him was a similar energy, however vaguely stronger than young Goten's, coming from the heart of the metropolis. Before he could consider closing in, his senses touched onto something that made him jerk to a halt in mid-air. To his left, coming from the outskirts of the city, was an astonishing power, far greater than any of the small fish he'd sensed earlier. This was indeed a power that rivaled his own.

Goku stood now, ready and waiting, as the captivating power sat only yards away, groggy and somewhat grouchy. Every breath from the haughty Saiyan's lunges served a direct assault to Goku's goals.

"Well, what do you want, Ka—Goku?" the last word was said with an unusual softness and Vegeta was unable to meet the eyes of his guest, instead occupying himself with his dish of sloppily prepared breakfast.

A glint flickered past the eyes of the standing Saiyan.

"What did you call me?" He asked.

Vegeta looked up, annoyed.

"Oh, don't start." he said, "You won. We know you won. Are you here to gloat then? Well alright, I suppose you've earned it. Goku. Goku, Goku, Goku." He said it clearly now with all the enunciation he could fit. He would allow Goku his bragging rights whatever it cost him, as he was sure Goku would allow him his own had their last fight's outcome been reversed.

Vegeta gave Kakarot a humoring smile.

"Satisfied?" He said, then went back to forking his runny eggs.

"Call me Kakarot."

Vegeta went blank for a split second before the cheeky grin returned to his lips.

"You went through all that trouble yesterday so I could call you Goku and now you want me to call you Kakarot again? That's very funny, I see irony is not beyond you. Now get out. I'm eating breakfast and I'm not much in the mood for sparring actually."

"I'm not here to spar."

"So you said," Vegeta countered, agitation showing in his voice, "then what exactly is it you want, Goku? If you've come to raid our fridge, you're out of luck. Bulma's been at her father's for the past week and we have nothing. I just barely managed to find some ingredients for this omelette and I'm not even sure if I've done it right. It doesn't look like an omelette- certainly doesn't taste like an omelette. Where the hell is that woman when you need her?"

"You said she was as her father's." Goku cut in smoothly.

Vegeta's eyes wandered back to the tall man still standing inexplicably in the middle of his kitchen.

"Are you still here?"

Goku paid no mind to the obvious snideness.

"I need to see you outside."

"Can't you see I'm eating, Goku? Or has your ridiculous hair finally grown to impair your vision?"

"I said not to call me that anymore." Goku's eye's became shaded in the slanted morning light.

Vegeta did not fail to notice the severity of his tone.

"But you won the bet," he said, now having a bit of fun, "it would be dishonorable of me to go back on it."

"Forget the bet," Goku said at once, "Forget everything that's happened up to this point. Now come outside."

"What has gotten into you, Goku? If you think I'm just going to drop everything because you're ready to go, you're more self involved than you let your friends think!"

"My name is Kakarot, and I won't tell you again. The reason I want us to go outside if for Bulma's sake. I wouldn't want any of her high-end furniture to suffer any damage on behalf of her stubborn husband."

Vegeta stared perplexed.

Though thus far, Kakarot had maintained a calm and causal demeanor- not so much as raising his voice- it was clear to Vegeta that something was boiling beneath the surface and it hinted that every minute Vegeta did not comply was a minute closer to someone having to suffer the consequences.

Vegeta would later tell himself that it was not fear that drug him away from his makeshift breakfast and made him follow Kakarot out onto the patio, but rather an overwhelming curiosity as to what had gotten the clown so serious all of a sudden.

"You haven't got me fooled, Kakarot," he said, once the screen door was shut behind them, "You've gotten me outside. Good work. Now, I suppose you'll want to spar."

The strangely behaving Kakarot had his back facing Vegeta and was making no move to attack.

"I've had a change of heart, Vegeta" he finally said, without turning to face the shorter man.

"Is that what you've brought me out here to tell me?"

Goku turned to look at Vegeta.

Vegeta, with his hands on his hips, waited fervently for an explanation.

"I've brought you out here to fight you." Kakarot said.

"Well, figures." Vegeta crossed his arms and blew at some dust.

"No. I've brought you out here to fight you." he said again, but with effective emphasis.

Fight as opposed to spar, Vegeta reflected. However, before he had a chance to consider it further, a sizable energy blast was thrown his way. He quickly deflected it with an instinctive swat.

"You said you didn't want to damage the house!" He shouted at the now ascending Kakarot.

"I can't wait forever," was his response.

Vegeta glared up at the reckless Saiyan hovering higher and higher. He didn't know what was going on, but he had enough sense to move away from the expansive house bought from his wife's earnings before it was threatened any further.

"I don't know what's gotten into you Kakarot, but if you like I can have the woman prescribe you something for it." This was said as a jab but Vegeta was beginning to feel earnest concern for the unusually stern Saiyan.

"I'm not playing games," he said quietly, and though he was gaining height, the sound carried clearly down to Vegeta who was still planted firmly on the patio (however, now distancing himself from the house).

"I'd start taking this seriously, Vegeta," Kakarot continued, "Or you won't be able to deflect the next one so easily."

Vegeta snarled as Kakarot's hand sparked with the beginnings of a new ball of energy.

The hovering Saiyan stared down at the grounded Vegeta, daring him to stay put.

With a growl, Vegeta lifted off the tiled patio and gracefully ascended to meet his foe.

Kakarot waited for Vegeta to match his height before killing the radiant ball in his hand.

"So, where to then?" he asked.

Vegeta tweaked a brow.

"Hm?"

"I picked the last place. It's your turn."

Vegeta had to consider this for a moment before catching on. A spiteful glare furrowed his face.

"You said we're fighting now, remember? Not sparring." he said.

"We were never sparring," Kakarot answered immediately.

Vegeta knew he was referring to their weekly sessions and was startled by the confession. Was this what Kakarot truly believed? The former prince supposed it wasn't too far fetched. They had always been extreme in their training sessions, often taking each other to the brink of their powers. If anyone were watching during their spars, it would appear that the two brazen men were out specifically to hurt one another, as though they were settling a deep-seated grudge. On occasion, Vegeta had thrown some of his own potentially fatal blows. It was only by chance that Kakarot happened to be on guard and able to evade them. It was not unreasonable, Vegeta concluded, to say that every time they fought they were fighting for real and with real stakes.

"Alright, Kakarot!" he spat, "We'll fight. But you follow me."

"Where are we going?"

Vegeta turned.

"The canyons," he said seriously, "are you coming?"

At this, Kakarot grinned and followed. Vegeta had always favored the vastness and privacy of the canyons. Kakarot hadn't needed to ask where he'd chosen nor did he need to follow; They'd been there many times.

The canyons erupted with bursts of clashing energies. The two brazen Saiyans bounced from surface to surface and sometimes kept to the air.

Kakarot had wasted no time upon reaching the canyons to engage his foe. Without so much as a taunting jeer to kick them off, the changed Saiyan charged Vegeta into battle.

It had seemed to Vegeta that the persistent man had a certain grudge to settle, of what the the former prince had no idea. However, Vegeta wasn't complaining- he would pick a senseless fight over meaningful chatter any day of the week. Still, he couldn't deny the pull in the back of his mind that wondered what had fired up the naturally passive Saiyan.

For a short time, after landing a dropkick that sent Kakarot sailing to the Earth, Vegeta had felt he was dominating the fight. However, there was no dust cloud to signal his rival's crash landing, and before he could process another thought, an energy materialized at his back.

Vegeta's head was jerked backward by the hair and he felt a static warmth growing in the arch of his back. He knew that this was Kakarot's idea of a finishing move, however, Vegeta wasn't done yet. He flipped out of the way of the radiant blast that would have seared a hole through his middle and heaved a sidelong kick to his stunned foe's head that sent him soaring through a nearby cloud.

Vegeta, panting, called out, "Alright, Kakarot, you've had your fun! That's enough clowning for one day!"

The cloud remained still.

"If you continue to hide from me like a coward, Kakarot, I'll have to blast you out!"

Vegeta briefly waited for a response before raising his hand to do what he said he would.

However, the cloud responded first.

Vegeta was just barely able to dodge the massive blast that speared a hole through the puffy cloud and went roaring off into the endless sky. The time it took Vegeta to recover from the near-fatal blast was enough time for Kakarot to initiate another action.

The crafty Saiyan came spiraling out of the cloud like a flaming hurricane headed straight into the distracted Vegeta.

Vegeta got caught with a lightning-quick kick that sent him straight into a canyon wall below. Then, as though the force from the kick had jerked the very life from him, he fell limply from the wall and landed in a crumpled heap at the canyon's base.

Kakarot certainly had the element of surprise going for him, Vegeta recounted.

Before he could begin to gain his feet, Kakarot was descending. The quick Saiyan landed at a startling speed, ramming both fists half a foot through the ground on either side of Vegeta's head.

The stunned Saiyan could only look up aghast as his captor stared stoically down at him, a picture of perfect composure. However, though Kakarot appeared placid on the surface, there was something undoubtedly brewing beneath.

There was a foreign look in Kakarot's eyes, a dark and terrible look, a look Vegeta should have noticed when the man first came strutting into his kitchen that morning.

"You're...You're not Kakarot..." he chocked out.

Kakarot smiled with a delinquent malice.

"But Vegeta," he doted, "that's exactly who I am. And you've known it all along."

He eased off of the bested Saiyan until he was standing over him.

"I came here to kill you but now I see that I can use you," Kakarot said and looked up to the clear sunny sky, "I want to conquer this planet, Vegeta, like I was shipped here to do when I was kid. I won't kill you because I think you're just the one to help me. Not that I need the help but if I remember correctly, this is a specialty of yours."

Vegeta's voice, as well as his strength, had gone and all he could do was lie at the feet of his rival and listen to the unusual offer.

"Come along with me, Vegeta," Kakarot said, turning to look straight into the eyes of his defeated quarry.

When Vegeta didn't respond, Kakarot raised his hand.

"Come with me, or I'll finish what I started," he said lowly, a ball growing in his hand aiming at Vegeta's prone and defenseless form.


	3. Never Judge a Day By Its Morning

Never Judge a Day By Its Morning

* * *

It wasn't a difficult decision, Vegeta recounted later, as he followed at a safe distance behind his conqueror. All he had to do was go along with Kakarot on whatever escapades he'd had planned. It wasn't his ideal way of spending the day but whatever had gotten into Kakarot was making him very stubborn and unable to accept no for an answer. Besides, the clown had won the fight fair and square and was entitled to a winning request.

But still, Vegeta thought, Kakarot wasn't behaving like himself. Never had the naturally peaceful man threatened a downed and defenseless opponent so convincingly. It was almost unnecessary; Vegeta might have come along anyway out of mild curiosity and mostly to satisfy his doubts that the clown had any serious intentions of "concurring the planet."

"Alright," Kakarot called back, after some minutes of gravely silent flight, "we're coming up to a city now. This should be a good place to start."

Yet there he was, Vegeta mused in disgust, carrying on this ridiculous charade- and convincingly too! With all his acting out, the idiot had probably even convinced himself that he was going to destroy the planet. Well, Vegeta was through playing along.

The inflamed Saiyan came to a jerking halt in mid-flight.

Kakarot, immediately sensing the loss of his company, stopped as well and turned to see the look of strained annoyance on his companion's face.

"I'm done, Kakarot." Vegeta called sternly, "You beat me so I played along for a bit but it's gone far enough. I'm going home. Your little game was cute for a while but now you're just wasting my time."

Goku turned to him fully.

"I'm not playing games," he said, for what felt like the third time that day, "I don't know how to make you understand the severity of this, but if you like, I can try."

Vegeta stared, looking indifferent as Kakarot fell into an aggressive stance. A small part of him wasn't sure he was serious but it was enough to keep him from bracing himself when Kakarot suddenly charged him, ramming him head-on and sending him souring down into the grove of trees below.

Vegeta lay gasping in a dusty clearing with a sharp ache in his abdomen. He wasn't prepared for that, to say the least. He was completely dumbfounded now and uncertain of how to react. Should he rise to his attacker and scold him for such a brutish move, or stay hidden where the reckless man couldn't do more damage?

Then all at once, he didn't have to make the choice, as Kakarot came gliding into view. He descended leisurely down to the clearing wearing the expression of a mother doting a disobedient child.

Vegeta rose to his feet at once, uncomfortable in such a vulnerable position while this unpredictable new Kakarot was advancing.

Within the second his feet tapped the leafy forest floor, Kakarot was off again. He dove for Vegeta, only this time the agitated Saiyan was prepared. He dashed out of the way and when Kakarot high-kicked the empty space, Vegeta was readily positioned for his own kick to the other's liver. However, Kakarot was prepared for retaliation as well and was gone before any damage was dealt. Vegeta, sensing the new location, turned swiftly on the spot and punched Kakarot dead in the jaw.

Kakarot did not need to prepare for any further assault, he knew. By the time he'd cranked his neck back to its proper position, Vegeta had sped off, vanished from sight.

"That's good, Vegeta," he said, smiling, to the apparently vacant grove, "This isn't a sparing session. I want you to take this seriously. I'll kill you if I get the opportunity and I want you to have the same disregard."

Vegeta, suppressing his ki behind one of the larger trees nearby, was appalled by this announcement.

Kakarot went still and pensive as he waited for his prey to reveal himself in his next move.

Vegeta had no intention of gambling an open attack- though it was almost tempting as Kakarot stood planted in open view and apparently off guard. Though Vegeta did not think favorably of the third class Saiyan at the moment, he would not insult Kakarot's fighting ability by assuming he was truly as unsuspecting as he looked. He knew that at the slightest move, the crafty Saiyan would pin-point his energy and be on him in an instant.

What Vegeta had realized too late was that he had already underestimated Kakarot by believing that any amount of energy suppression could keep him undetectable to his predator.

His mistake was instantly corrected as the man he feared suddenly appeared before him in his hiding place, radiating and seeming to bend the trees around him with his power.

Vegeta inadvertently coiled against the large, gnarled tree.

Kakarot struck him down with a seemingly effortless swat and the stunned Saiyan landed on his elbows at the sully base of the tree.

"It would cost me very little effort to do this," Kakarot said, plainly, "but it's not necessary. I don't want to kill you, Vegeta. I think you could work with me. But if you're going to fight me on this, you leave me no other choice."

Then, raising his hand in a familiar fashion, Kakarot aimed an electric ball of light directly at Vegeta's head.

All the air deflated from the caught Saiyan's lunges.

It would be the third time this morning that Vegeta had been threatened: First, his home was threatened if he didn't follow Kakarot outside, then later his life was threatened if he didn't agree to come along on this bizarre tirade, and now again Kakarot stood over him threatening to blast him from existence if he didn't join him.

"Why, Kakarot?" Vegeta gasped more than spoke.

Kakarot didn't have to think.

"Is it not a Saiyan's nature to destroy all those who pose a threat to him?" He said with a smarmy grin.

Vegeta growled.

"You're afraid of me, Kakarot?"

The comment was a futile attempt at being biting, not helped by Vegeta's humbled position in the mud.

Kakarot smiled.

"If you're not with me, you're against me."

"I'm not against you, Kakarot! I just don't want to destroy the planet!"

The simmering ball aimed at Vegeta's face suddenly died and Kakarot kneeled to be level with his prey.

"I don't want to destroying the planet," he said and looked as though he sincerely wanted Vegeta to understand, "I want to conquer it... like our Saiyan brothers would want." he paused and seemed to wait for Vegeta to react.

Vegeta listened.

Kakarot continued, "I can rule Earth, Vegeta- We can rule Earth! The last two Saiyans and the most powerful beings in the universe- we'd be the living legacy of our race! We can revive it!"

Vegeta had bore witness to Kakarot's persuasion technique many times- he'd even been on the receiving end on more than one occasion. When it became clear to Kakarot that he could not force his opponent to back down using physical strength, he resorted to verbally coaxing his adversary into seeing reason.

The look in his eyes was as tentative as it had always been when he was talking down an opponent, however the plea could not have sounded more strange coming from his lips.

"Join me." Kakarot said at last then stood up.

Vegeta thought it was the last time the offer would be presented so nicely. Then he snorted at himself, realizing that Kakarot had no intention of offering again.

The trumped prince looked up into the eyes of his rival, his face hard and defiant but behind his eyes was a crumbling resilience.

"You want me," Vegeta said slowly, still unable to believe it, "to conquer the world with you?"

"Yes." Kakarot answered, pleased, "We could be like Royalty- the rulers of Earth! You could be Prince Vegeta again."

Vegeta turned away, something in him suddenly boiling. He became suddenly aware of his unseemly position in the mucky forest soil. He stood up and began dusting himself off. Once he'd brushed the last of the rubble from his shoulders he turned to Kakarot, meeting what he could manage of his rival's height, and, with all the dignity of a prince, said, "alright, Kakarot. I'll go along on this little charade."

Kakarot smiled.

"Not as though I have anything else to do." Vegeta huffed and crossed his arms.

"This'll be fun, Vegeta," Kakarot assured with a cool confidence, "It'll be just like the old days."

Vegeta turned, giving his response with an indifferent cheek.

Kakarot had been ship wrecked on Earth for the duration of the "old days" and Vegeta was certain the softened warrior knew nothing about the pillaging and roving of populated planets. It was a farce, Vegeta thought, that this sheltered Saiyan pretended to know anything about taking a planet.

However, everything he'd learned to expect of Kakarot from the time they'd spent together in the past had been completely contradicted in a matter of a few short hours. More than once that day, Vegeta had been shocked and caught unaware by the unpredictable behavior of the brash man standing before him and as a result, he was now reluctant to make any further assumptions about what Kakarot might or might not be capable of.

"For your sake," Vegeta said coolly, "you'd better be serious. If I find out this is all some joke and you've been wasting my time dragging me around all day, don't expect me to laugh it off. I'll kill you, Kakarot."

whatever response Vegeta had expected from the usually placid Saiyan, it wasn't this.

Kakarot had rounded on him in a flash, backing the smaller Saiyan into the tree.

"You don't threaten me, Vegeta," He said in a cold, quiet voice, "as of today, any threatening will be done by me. You speak to me with anything but respect and I won't hesitate to pick up where we left off here today. I don't need you, Vegeta. And if I decide your attitude is interfering with my authority, I'll dispose of you. Because, like I said, I can't afford to let someone with your power waste away on the fence. You're either with me or you're dead."

Kakarot made sure his words sunk in and stared Vegeta down for an extra moment before backing off to allow the ruffled Saiyan to catch his breath.

Vegeta awkwardly pushed himself off the tree and straitened himself, brushing his hair back and tugging at his shirt.

"Well, your timing's awful." he mumbled.

Kakarot smiled.

The two took to the skies again, Kakarot leading the way with Vegeta following silently behind. It was as though no outburst had taken place and Kakarot's mind was securely back on track.

They were once again closing in on a city that Kakarot had deemed suitable

When they came to a smooth stop some miles above the busy city, Vegeta found himself confused again as to what it was exactly they were planning to do. He didn't ask and wasn't entirely interested, but watched the busy city below.

"Time to carry out my mission." came the low, collected voice of Kakarot, more to himself than to Vegeta.

Vegeta hadn't caught was was said but watched as Kakarot raised an open hand to the city below.

Vegeta continued to watch as a spark began in the center of Kakarot's palm. Then Vegeta looked down at the city and then back at Kakarot and then down at the city again. He scanned the busy roads and bustling crowds and finally began to deduce that Kakarot might not be kidding.

"Kakarot!" he spat.

The man ahead of him did not answer but the growing spark in his hand turned red and electric.

Realizing then what he'd missed before, he shouted again, "Kakarot! Our planet is destroyed- There is no mission anymore! You answer to no one now! If you destroy this planet, it will be for no one but yourself!"

"That's not true," Kakarot said, a grin spreading on his lips,"its prince is still alive and kicking. You say the word and I'll put a crater in place of this city."

Vegeta didn't believe for a second that after Kakarot's morning power trip he would play the role of his subordinate, and judging by the the manic glint in the larger man's eye, Vegeta certainly didn't believe that anything he could say at that point would stop Kakarot from smudging the large city off the face of the Earth. He knew, however, that he had to try.

"Kakarot, you can't do this." urgency bled into his voice, "It's completely pointless!"

"Listen to you, Vegeta!" Kakarot laughed almost good-heartedly, "years ago, it would've been me who'd have to talk you down from blasting away a population. It seems our roles have been reversed!"

This irony was not lost on Vegeta. It seemed to be the theme of their day.

"Listen Kakarot!" he urged, "What can you have to gain from this? These people mean nothing! They pose no threat to you at all! They're like helpless little insects!"

At this, the spark in Kakarot's deadly hand utterly went out and his face became vacant.

"You're right, Vegeta..." He spoke quietly, catching the former prince off guard, "This is pointless...I could destroy every city on Earth and it would be the same every time." his hand fell to his side, "Even if they fought back, they wouldn't stand a chance. It would be like taking candy from a baby. If I want a challenge, I won't find it here on Earth. I'll need to search elsewhere."

Kakarot turned and fixed Vegeta with a meaningful stare.

Vegeta suddenly looked aged.

"You're not serious..."

Kakarot only smirked. Everything he had done today was with fatal seriousness, Vegeta was kidding himself if he thought he would start making jokes now.

"Are you coming with me?" He said at last, with little conviction needed- it was mostly a rhetorical question after all.

Vegeta crossed his arms and glared.

"Do I have a choice?" he growled.

Kakarot smiled, satisfied.

"Very good." he said, "We'll leave immediately," and started off in the direction of Capsule Corp.

"Wait!" Vegeta halted him, "I have children, Kakarot, a wife. You may have easily severed ties with your family..." he paused then his voice went unnaturally soft, "but I'm still very attached to mine."

He waited for a response from the strange, new Kakarot- a disparaging comment, a mocking smile. When it didn't come, Vegeta continued.

"Let me say good-bye to them. At the very least, let me give them a sensible reason for what we're doing! They'll think we've both lost our minds if we just show up demanding a ship without an explanation!"

Kakarot appeared to seriously consider this and for a moment almost looked as though he was reconsidering the whole thing.

"All right," he said at once, "We'll go to Capsule Corp. and and I'll let you handle them. We'll gather up what we need and then," he said with punctual finality, "we ship out."

Vegeta saw no room to argue and nodded.

It was closing in on noon when Vegeta descended to the lawn of Capsule Corp., landing briskly in a bed of daffodils. His mother-in-law was a devoted housewife who delighted in tending to the countless pets and plants all over the property. Vegeta had no patience for her daffodils at the moment and stomped through them on his way to the door.

"Vegeta!" Bulma called, rushing out to him at once, "Have you seen Goku? Chichi's been calling- She says he was behaving strangely this morning before he-"

At that moment, Kakarot landed directly behind Vegeta.

"Hello, Bulma," he said simply, "Vegeta says you have some pills for me."

Vegeta could feel himself breaking a sweat. It was taking all of his control to maintain composure.

"Kakarot and I are going for a trip. We need your father's space ship." He explained sternly, not allowing any space for the stream of questions that were sure to come flooding through after Kakarot's sudden appearance.

Bulma quickly lead them inside, nearly bursting at the seams with questions and speculations that had been building up during their absences.

To Vegeta's surprise, Kakarot spoke freely to Bulma, however not hinting to anything slightly out of the ordinary. It almost seemed as though nothing had changed and he was the same old Kakarot- or Goku- that had left him yesterday after their spar. It was making Vegeta feel like it was he who had the problem as he nervously scurried them along to his father-in-law's laboratory trying his best to squelch his wife's questions.

They met up with father Briefs and recited their request. Both Bulma and her father were visibly bewildered by the Saiyans' sudden whim but seemed appeased as Kakarot maintained that it was just a casual vacationing trip for some Saiyan R&R in space, once again hinting to nothing amiss.

Vegeta followed along in restrained silence as Dr. Briefs lead them to the grand room with his latest space ship. It was the only one he had on hand and since the Saiyans insisted they wanted to leave immediately, he offered it for their convenience.

The space ship was the size of a vacationing yacht and looked more like a royalty ship than a battle ship.

"It's a luxury ship," Mr. Briefs explained, as they were lifted up into the main flight deck.

The flight deck was very roomy with magnificent high ceilings. At the head of the room was the control panel and behind the cozy pilot chairs was a large round couch with a coffee table in the center.

"This is the lounge slash flight deck," he guided them along the rounded room, "What's special about this room is the artificial sky."

"Artificial sky?" Kakarot asked intently.

"Yes, if you look at the ceiling you can see it's a screen. It's programed to follow Earth-time and you can turn it on and see the blue sky and clouds of Earth during the day hours, or at night time there's the moon and stars."

"Wow," Kakarot said, looking truly impressed.

"Yes," Mr. Briefs agreed giddily, "I recommend you turn it on in the evening, the sunsets are particularly stunning!"

Vegeta looked annoyed and mumbled something about a waste of time and technology. As Dr. Briefs wandered ahead of them, explaining the functions of various dazzling devices, Vegeta felt eyes upon him. When he looked up, he met the stoney gaze of Kakarot. The intense and threatening stare was not held long; As Dr Briefs made his way back to them, Kakarot quickly shifted his gaze and

"So is there a training room?" he asked in his usual friendly manner. Vegeta shuttered to himself. The heavy stare, though passed, still weighing upon him.

"I'm afraid not." Mr. Briefs answered, frowning, unaware of the static that passed through the room, "I build this ship to be used by my wife and I. There was just no need for a training room. However, there is a pool and a tennis court."

Kakarot's eyes perked up.

"You'll find this ship is bountiful with anything you could want." The old man continued, "sadly, however, it's not very practical. If we were ever attacked during our vacationing, we'd be completely defenseless. The ship has no surface shield and it's not equipped with any artillery. So, if you come across any hostile aliens you'll most likely be obliterated."

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Kakarot said, nodding his thanks to the generous professor.

After the short tour, Vegeta went to bid his good-byes to his family while Kakarot remained on the ship, familiarizing himself with the controls.

Vegeta's good-bye hugs were lingering in a way that perplexed his wife and son. Vegeta couldn't explain to them why he was so somber so he said very little. He almost felt that he was saving them by leaving the planet with the suddenly reckless Kakarot. He didn't know what the man was capable of at the moment but he recognized the look in his eyes every time Kakarot had shot him a stony glare that day. Vegeta knew the look because he'd mastered the look once upon a time. Back when he was the feral and dangerous Prince of Saiyans working under "Lord Frieza," his face was home to that look. Somehow, in the years he'd spent on Earth and distanced from his dark past, that wild look slowly departed. Now it seemed that it had adopted a new home. Kakarot, for whatever reason, had become enraged and within him a new thirst for destruction and dominance had awoken.

Vegeta released his wife and small son, imparting onto them a last look of sincere affection. It was returned- however somewhat curiously. Only Vegeta knew what the sadness in his eyes meant. He knew this might be the last time he would see his loved ones. It hurt him that he couldn't say more to them. It wasn't that Kakarot had forbade him to speak about their mission, but Vegeta knew that it would only make things more complicated for himself. So, he left them without a reassuring word.

And so it was that the Earth's most powerful hero became its most powerful threat. In his stead, Vegeta became Earth's new hero. Unfortunately, he was not the most powerful and could not deal with the unwanted villain in the traditional way. For his part, all Vegeta could do was quietly escort the threat to a safe distance away from the planet and when they got there, they would settle it then.

The ceiling of the massive garage slid open. Vegeta rose into the flight deck to see his hijacker standing over the wide board of intricate controls. Kakarot pressed a few buttons that the doctor had shown him earlier and the whole ship vibrated to life.

Vegeta stayed his distance from the tall Saiyan, glaring at his back with loathing.

They slowly began to hover out of the building, Kakarot directing them with a steady, focused hand. He'd operated a Capsule Corp. space shuttle before but nothing like this. Mr. Briefs had greatly updated his equipment since his last model.

They rose higher and higher above the city and the two Saiyans looked out from the eye of the ship onto the shrinking terrain below.

"Well," Kakarot said, "It's just you and me, Vegeta."

Indeed, Vegeta thought but said nothing.

"The last two pure-blooded Saiyans out to revive the legacy of our race."

Vegeta felt a chunk of himself was being slowing torn out of him as they distanced themselves further from the Earth. All this time loathing the wretched, dull planet, now he found himself actually missing it. He felt a aching sorrow growing in his pit that he couldn't suppress. He was grateful that the distracted idiot didn't see it.

The day had begun not unlike any other and very quickly it had taken off in a way he still wasn't quite clear on. Now, after an interesting twist of events, he was on a ship with a deranged Kakarot sailing off the planet to go rule the universe. It just goes to show that you never know how a day's going to go, Vegeta mused in spite of himself. If Kakarot was as changed as he seemed, Vegeta could at least be pleased that he was getting him away from Earth and his loved ones that might otherwise be endangered. However, he was worried that the motives of this strange new Kakarot might keep him from ever seeing the Earth again and ultimately lead to his death.

Kakarot hummed at the controls.

Vegeta felt a collapse in his heart.


	4. The Skirmish in Space

The Skirmish in Space

* * *

If there was one thing that pleased Vegeta about the growing distance between the ship and Earth, it was that he could now argue with Kakarot without the lives of his loved ones being threatened.

Once the Earth had shrunk to the size of a blue-green soccer ball, Vegeta turned to the man he once knew as an ally and opened his mouth to tell him exactly what he thought of him and his idiotic impulses. During the time it took the ship to reach this distance from the planet, the former prince had been mentally constructing an impressive line of deprecating adjectives to direct at Kakarot once they'd achieved a safe distance. However, before the barrage of insults could burst from his lips, the other Saiyan, who had been keeping oddly quiet throughout the ascent, took to his feet.

"Welp!" he said, giving a great long stretch, "I'm pooped! Wake me when we come up on an inhabited planet."

Vegeta watched, mouth open slightly, as the Saiyan then turned and briskly left the command deck.

"Kakarot!" he called after him, confusion and frustration evident in his voice.

There was no answer and Vegeta seethed to himself. Immediately, he set to scanning the control panels for an escape pod or, at the very least, controls for locking down specific parts of the ship. If anything, he could close off Kakarot in the master bedroom for a while. To Vegeta's upheaval, nowhere on the keys did he find the slightest hint of precautionary or emergency procedures. He couldn't believe it. The ship truly was strictly luxury.

After some time of futilely hunting for a single practical button on the large panel, Vegeta, annoyed, left the controls for the time being and turned instead to the artificial sky. It was turning a darker hue and thin clouds began quietly rolling in. Despite- or perhaps due to- his frustration and the tension of the current situation, he found himself growing tired. He looked to the darkened hallway where his single shipmate had disappeared into earlier. If he did succumb to sleep, Vegeta decided, he wouldn't do it anywhere in the vicinity of Kakarot. The recent fatal mood swings of the younger Saiyan had Vegeta feeling on edge, to say the least.

The emotionally exhausted Saiyan finally plopped down in one of the two captain's chairs and watched out of the large monitor as stars moved by at a sluggish pace; The ship had two speeds: sludge slow for enjoying the scenery and hyper fast for reaching specific destinations. As they currently had no set destination, they just cruised along until, Vegeta assumed, Kakarot deemed a spot suitable.

Very soon, Vegeta was dozing, propped up in the seat and head lulling on his chest. Kakarot hadn't once emerged from his quarters and it was two hours later before Vegeta was awoken by the the gentle chirping of the monitor.

Vegeta slowly opened his eyes and immediately noticed the red light illuminating his body. He looked up and saw a blinking red message on the screen.

It said "Unidentified craft approaching."

Some good distance ahead of the Luxury Ship, Vegeta could barely make out a small, dark, spherical structure approaching at a steady rate.

Vegeta stared at the ship. He read over the message again. For some time he alternated uneasy stares between the two. Finally he said aloud, "So?"

The monitor, apparently responding to Vegeta's voice, recycled its first message and the new one read, "Permission to assume unidentified craft is unfriendly and initiate evasion program..."

Vegeta watched the ship as it continued to approach. He couldn't determine the size of it due to the distance, nor whether there was any significant alien insignia on its surface. He did remember the Doctor saying that the vacation ship didn't have any weapons or shields installed. This conflicted Vegeta for a moment as his pride wretched at the idea of fleeing. However, as they had no defense against a possible foe, he decided to be safe. He told the computer to go ahead with the evasive maneuvers and the ship quickly fired up its components in preparation to comply.

Vegeta listened to the ship flaring it's engines and felt it begin to rattle as it prepared to boost into hyper drive and then, amidst all the commotion, the monitor began chirping again. The engines slowly died down and the control deck stilled. Vegeta looked around, baffled by the anticlimactic silence and then finally turned the screen where a new message was blinking red.

"Approaching ship wishes to extend communication. Accept?"

Vegeta frowned slightly at the monitor before reluctantly accepting.

The screen was then promptly filled with the live feed from the approaching ship's own command deck. Once he was connected with the luxury ship's command deck, the strange captain immediately began speaking at Vegeta in shouted and threatening tones. Vegeta was not familiar with the language and couldn't understand until the monitor made a slight bleep sound then seemed to translate.

"-And if you do not allow us to overtake your ship, we will open fire. And as your ship doesn't apear to have any shields, it would be in your best interest to comply." said the captain of the approaching ship. They were a bulky and broad shouldered race whose skin was variant shades of purple and green. They had bug eyes that were widely set on either side of their flattish heads and long, thin mouths that opened astonishingly wide as they barked their commands. Vegeta thought they looked like frogs on steroids.

When the captain was finished laying out his demands, Vegeta thought for a while. Were these aliens some kind of space pirates? Was he being robbed? He couldn't believe that the minute they got off the planet they ran into bandits. He set aside his disbelief for the moment and considered the situation seriously. It would not be wise to invite open fire but he was far from surrendering.

"Alright, come aboard then! You're free to try and overtake this ship." Vegeta said with a sneer.

The bandit leader did not seem to catch the challenge in the Saiyan's tone and did seem to be calibrating what Vegeta assumed to be a some transport beam.

"We will come aboard and you will surrender your weapons. If you comply, we will not harm your crew," As the captain continued his practiced demands, the bandit ship at last came to a stop in front of the luxury cruiser. Vegeta glanced out of the command deck window and saw a ship the size of a mini van and the tiny occupants in the head of it.

Vegeta let out a great howling laugh, interrupting the bandit captain in the middle of his list of demands.

"Oh, Please!" Vegeta screamed, holding his stomach, "Oh, you're joking!"

The bandits stared at him in the monitor, looking increasingly uncomfortable as he succumbed to more fits of laughter.

"You- you can't possibly think that you're going to overtake this ship? You can't! Really?" he continued, barely able to get the words out between howls of laughter.

The opposing captain's greenish skin tone took on a more red hue and he clenched his bulky fists.

"You find this funny?" he said slowly, though his tightened lips which now looked even thinner.

Vegeta attempted to explain to the captain how it was funny that they tried to be threatening when they looked like a bunch of tiny peas in a cute little pod, but he gave up when the other captain didn't appear as amused and he fell to his knees in laughter.

The bandit did not find this so funny and in fact was shaking in repressed fury. Then without words (though admittedly, he didn't seem capable of them at the moment), he indicated something to a crew member off screen.

Vegeta's laughter slowly died down and an eerie sort of beebing took over the control deck. Vegeta stood and looked up to the monitor to see a new message that read, "Incoming fire.".

The ugly captain was now wearing a broad grin on his frog-like face.

Vegeta was suddenly knocked back to the ground as the Ship was hit with multiple missiles.

The control deck echoed with alien laughter for a moment before the live feed to the bandit ship was promptly terminated. The only sound was that of the luxury ship taking repeated damage from continuous fire and the dull beeping.

When Vegeta was able to focus on the shaking screen, he saw a new message.

"The ship is under fire. Take evasive action?"

"Of course!" Vegeta spat back and before he could gain his feet again, he was knocked back by the ship's hyper drive.

From a crumpled heap against the wall some amount of time later, Vegeta craned his head up to look out of the vast window. The ship's new location presented nothing remarkably different from the old one, but there was now no tiny bandit ship packing huge artillery and that was a good change. The former prince massaged his head where he felt a sharp ache. The kick into hyper speed had thrown him into the far wall of the command deck and he wondered if he'd been knocked unconscious.

He had been on Earth for so long, Vegeta had nearly forgotten what it was like to be on a ship moving at hyper speed. It gave his insides a lunge feeling that reminded him of flying at optimum energy, except when he flew he was in control. He thought again for a moment then decided that hyper speed was more like being thrown through three consecutive mountains. He grabbed his mid section as he attempted to push himself off the of polished floor. Vegeta gave a heave and a grunt but fell back against the wall just the same. He realized then that he would have to get used to hyper speed all over again. As he lay, waiting for the feeling to fully return to his legs he didn't notice his awoken shipmate enter the command deck.

Kakarot, disheveled and drone-like in his morning form, remained silent as he looked around the large room. He took in the long, precarious looking crack along the viewing window, some shattered lights that seemed to have fallen from the kitchen area but landed in the lounge, a large round dent in the wall above the grounded Vegeta and lastly, he noticed the blinking red message on the computer screen that read, "Safely evaded destruction."

A cough to Vegeta's right brought the prone prince's attention to the Saiyan standing stone-faced in the entrance of the room. The tall man wore a thick blanket around his shoulders and appeared to have just woken up.

"Oh, good," Vegeta grunted as he used the wall to gain his feet, "glad you could join the battle. By the way, great idea picking the luxury ship to venture into perilous space. A few more hits and the thing would have been reduced to rubble. We might as well just be floating around in a cottage! Are you listening to me, Kakarot?"

Kakarot stomped sleepily to the front of the room, blanket flapping behind him like a cape, to the control panel. He must have pressed something significant because in an instant the blinking and beeping message vanished. He sighed then turned around, looking satisfied.

"Finally!" he said, leaning against the panel, "That beeping woke me up from the best dream..." Kakarot turned and looked at Vegeta, who was hunched against the dented wall and looking harassed. He immediately strode over to the smaller man, apparently noticing something was amiss.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking the other Saiyan up and down. He let his large blanket leave his shoulders only to hold it out in offering to his shaken-looking comrade.

Vegeta huffed, paying no mind to the offering, "Are you insane?" he said, sounding genuinely concerned, "You realize we've just been attacked?"

Kakarot smiled as he heedlessly threw the blanket over the other's shoulders. Then he turned and strode to the kitchen, fully awake now and ready to kick off the day.

"Wow!" he said good-naturedly, as he opened the expansive fridge, "already getting started, Vegeta? I should have known you'd be out here staking your claim, the pure blooded Saiyan you are. That'll teach me to turn my back on you!"

Vegeta let the blanket fall to the floor, "You dragged me into this, you moron!" he shouted at the other Saiyan, whose head was now fully immersed in the fridge. "I'm not staking my claim anywhere! We were attacked and we're in a highly under-equipped ship. This has become ridiculously unsafe and I demand we turn around at once!"

Kakarot's head popped up from behind the door, cheeks stuffed with mostly unchewed noodles. He said something entirely muffled and Vegeta didn't dignify the lack of etiquette with a response. Kakarot then fully stood up and with a great loud gulp, emptied his mouth.

"But we haven't even started." he repeated with an evident whine.

Vegeta found he was already missing the brash and fatal side of Kakarot he'd encountered earlier that morning and wondered where that man had gone to.

"I didn't want to come along on this charade, remember?" The short-tempered Saiyan shouted. His already foul mood had taken a dive, "Now you're here napping and sighing and stuffing your face with noodles while both our lives are being endangered on this damned impractical ship!

Kakarot, who seemed to resemble Goku more and more, exhaled and seemed to feel guilty about the situation. He closed the fridge and approached the other Saiyan. Vegeta's head was defiantly turned and his arms were folded guardedly over his chest.

Kakarot now seemed to be delicately choosing his words, "I'm sorry, Vegeta. I didn't know we'd get attacked so soon. I'm sure there's at least a minor shield on the ship-"

"There isn't."

"Well there has to be some kind of-"

"I searched!"

Kakarot paused, looking over the tense prince and feeling a growing tension in himself.

"Alright, " he said calmly, "Alright, Vegeta. We'll stop at the nearest planet and get the ship equipped with shields and weapons."

Kakarot didn't wait for a response from the prince. Having known the stubborn Saiyan for as long as he had, he didn't expect one. He merely reached down and grabbed the blanked that had pooled around Vegeta's booted feet. Returning it to the slighter Saiyan's shoulders, he smiled.

"Alright, Prince." He said, without a hint of ridicule in his voice, "let's get you some breakfast. Have you eaten yet?"

"I'm not hungry." was all Vegeta said.

"Well it's morning, look!" Kakarot pointed to the artificial sky which was no longer starry and was turning a lighter shade of blue.

"I don't care."

"Well I'll make something anyway and you can decide whether or not you want to eat it."

Kakarot walked happily to the kitchen. Vegeta stared after him, despite himself. He doubted that anything the clumsy Saiyan made would be edible. As the the cheerful Saiyan set to humming away over the stove, cracking eggs into a large frying pan and tossing in various ingredients, Vegeta found himself drawn into the kitchen. He quietly sat down on one of the tall stools around the island taking in the unexpectedly good smell.

After a while in which the only sound was that of food being fried, a steaming plate was slid in front of Vegeta.

It was an omelet. Vegeta eyed the meal reservedly, remembering his own, much less passable attempt at the same dish the morning prior. Beside him, Kakarot took a stool and immediately began shoveling large bites of the omelet in his mouth. It was quickly vanishing before his eyes only moments after being created.

Vegeta mumbled something under his breath, apparently thinking aloud.

Kakarot ceases his messy assault on the meal and stared inquisitively at his company.

"Hm?"

"I said, you are Kakarot." Vegeta repeated.

A large gulp, "Well of course I am, Vegeta." Kakarot said, looking a bit concerned.

"Well you can't blame me for thinking otherwise, the way you're been behaving."

Kakarot stared off, considering this. Vegeta took advantage of the momentary connection to speak candidly.

"Kakarot, what is happening?" he turned to face the man fully, "what are we doing in space?"

The preoccupied Saiyan stared down at his mostly eaten breakfast, brow furrowing in thought.

"Why don't we go back, stop this foolishness," Vegeta pressed gently. He watched his old ally, considering the countless battles he'd faced, the piles of surmounted foes he'd beaten, the fields of bloodshed- the amount of blood Goku had lost alone could fill at least ten people- and was in wonderment that the Saiyan could still manage to look like a hopeless little boy at times.

Vegeta's quiet moment of reflection over the child-like nature of the other Saiyan was cut short when the hopeless little boy suddenly vanished. In his place emerged a cold and decisive warrior.

"No," said Kakarot and he stood from the table, "we stay the course. We won't be turning back so you might as well put it out of your mind." His eyes hit Vegeta's with blunt force.

Vegeta held the stare with a quiet desperation as he questioned the other without words. But it was like trying to connect with a brick wall. The stony face of Kakarot offered no answers. The resolute Saiyan strode from the room without another word.

The almost instant switch from the gentle Saiyan he knew and the new side of him sent a chill down Vegeta's spine. He realized with a decided revulsion that he still wore the blanket the other had wrapped around him earlier. He threw it off him with such force that the woolly cloth hit the wall with a solid 'wack!'

He folded his arms over his chest.

Kakarot was a roller coaster, Vegeta seethed, a roller coaster with a gap in the rail. How was he supposed to keep up with the man when he constantly broke from what was expected. His moods and actions had become completely unpredictable from one second to the next. Vegeta had no idea how to cope with it.

How about if the ship blew up, what then? Kakarot would surely feel like a prize doofus then, dragging them into space without any plan. Vegeta began to quietly wish for an errant meteor would strike them just to spite other Saiyan.

Vegeta sighed, and his eyes wandered over to the discarded scraps of omelet on the abandoned dish beside his. He didn't care if, in Kakarot's current delirium, he crowned himself 'King of The Ship' and threw another royal tantrum- Vegeta wasn't cleaning up after him.


End file.
